You Don’t Threaten to Destroy the Entire Economy Over a Pipeline

Republicans are threatening not the raise the debt limit unless the Keystone XL pipeline is approved

It is time for Republicans to simply stop embarrassing themselves with this nonsense. They are now thinking about threatening not to raise the debt limit unless they get some modest demands. From the Washington Post:

Several House members told The Washington Post on Monday that Republican leaders have narrowed their list of possible debt-limit strategies to two options: trading a one-year extension for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, or trading a one-year extension for repeal of a provision of the Affordable Care Act.

Both plans, which were first discussed last week at the House GOP’s annual retreat in Cambridge, Md., will be debated further Tuesday morning, when House Republicans meet at the Capitol. House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) is said to be open to either approach, as long as it can win heavy GOP support.

Absolutely no one is going to take a threat like this seriously so there is no point in even making it. You don’t threaten to ruin the entire economy just for a pipeline or the repeal of a minor provision of a law, because no one would ever pull the trigger over such minor issues.

Back when Republicans threatened not the raise the debt limit unless they got massive deficit reduction that at least made some sense, even though it was stupid. It was a very big risk for a potentially a very big reward. The ransom at least met the value of the threat, which made it seem serious.

You Don’t Threaten to Destroy the Entire Economy Over a Pipeline

Republicans are threatening not the raise the debt limit unless the Keystone XL pipeline is approved

It is time for Republicans to simply stop embarrassing themselves with this nonsense. They are now thinking about threatening not to raise the debt limit unless they get some modest demands. From the Washington Post:

Several House members told The Washington Post on Monday that Republican leaders have narrowed their list of possible debt-limit strategies to two options: trading a one-year extension for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, or trading a one-year extension for repeal of a provision of the Affordable Care Act.

Both plans, which were first discussed last week at the House GOP’s annual retreat in Cambridge, Md., will be debated further Tuesday morning, when House Republicans meet at the Capitol. House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) is said to be open to either approach, as long as it can win heavy GOP support.

Absolutely no one is going to take a threat like this seriously so there is no point in even making it. You don’t threaten to ruin the entire economy just for a pipeline or the repeal of a minor provision of a law, because no one would ever pull the trigger over such minor issues.

Back when Republicans threatened not the raise the debt limit unless they got massive deficit reduction that at least made some sense, even though it was stupid. It was a very big risk for a potentially a very big reward. The ransom at least met the value of the threat, which made it seem serious.

Jane Hamsher

Jane is the founder of Firedoglake.com. Her work has also appeared on the Huffington Post, Alternet and The American Prospect. She’s the author of the best selling book Killer Instinct and has produced such films Natural Born Killers and Permanent Midnight. She lives in Washington DC.Subscribe in a reader